Jets' GM 'conservative' with Sanchez injury

Thomas Rende

09/16/2013

Mark Sanchez was placed on the short-term injured reserved list, which will keep him out of action for eight games. Find out what John Idzik had to say about Sanchez's injury and the Jets' starting quarterback job moving forward.

Questions regarding Mark Sanchez's day-to-day injury status will be muted for the foreseeable future after general manager John Idzik placed the hurt quarterback on the short-term injured reserve list Saturday.

The decision to put Sanchez on the short-term injury-reserve list came after the joint opinion of doctors, medical staff and team personnel decided to avoid surgery on his right shoulder.

"Every single injury is different," admitted Idzik. "As I stated before, Mark had a similar type of injury to his throwing shoulder," said Idzik. "He was able to come back without any missed time. So, if there was any chance for Mark to do that, certainly we wanted to afford him that chance."

The initial injury Idzik is referring to occurred at the end of the 2011 season. Sanchez wouldn't need to have surgery on the shoulder and opted for rehab, a process that he figured he would roll the dice on one more time.

"I think right now the consensus is the conservative approach, the nonsurgical approach we're taking is the proper approach. It's the proper approach for Mark, both short term and long term," said Idzik. "And I think we just have to take it, see how it goes and then we'll react just like we're reacting today with that, how Mark progresses and where he is, specifically six weeks, eight weeks down the line."

Sanchez initially injured his shoulder in Week 3 of the preseason against the New York Giants when Marvin Austin hit him outside of the pocket. Idzik has reiterated that inserting Sanchez that late in the game was "not a mistake" and that "injuries are a part of the game".

In the meantime the Jets will be forced to move on without him. Even though Geno Smith has started the first two weeks of the season, the team has refused to name a starting quarterback past Sunday's matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

"We literally take it day-to-day, week-to-week, game-by-game and that's the way we're approaching the quarterback position," said Idzik. "Well, I'd characterize the quarterback competition like anything else. I think that everyone is getting a taste that we don't look too far into the future. Right now, our sights are set on this week in Buffalo and Geno will be our quarterback for Buffalo."